Chapter 658 - I Want Another Hour

The patriarch was unsettled. As he made his way to the Shadow’s office, he wondered whether his identity had been exposed.

But if they have discovered my identity as Lord Huangquan’s believer, why would the Shadow summon me to his office? Had my secret truly come to light, he would’ve acted personally and captured me with a small team of elite ninjas. Lord Huangquan is still an enemy opposed by all eight ninja villages.

When he reached the office, the patriarch took a deep breath and knocked.

“Come in,” the Shadow answered.

The patriarch entered. “Lord Shadow, is something the matter?”

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The Shadow rose from his seat and gestured for Hakurou to sit. “Hakurou, you’ve rendered tremendous service to our village!”

That only deepened Hakurou’s confusion. He hadn’t accepted any mission in quite some time. Since when did he contribute anything to the village?

“You’ve nurtured an exceptional son!” the Shadow continued.

Hakurou assumed the praise was sarcastic and quickly replied, “Lord Shadow, are you referring to Hanwu? Tell me if he did anything wrong. I will personally punish him and provide the village with a proper explanation!”

Hakurou was actually worried that the Giant Wood Village’s punishment would be too lenient. Had the decision been his alone, he would have executed Hanwu on the spot.

Meanwhile, the Shadow misunderstood his urgency as paternal concern and assumed that Hakurou couldn’t bear to see his son suffer punishment.

“Calm yourself,” the Shadow said, patting his shoulder. “I know you care deeply for your son, but this is good news.”

Hakurou frowned. “Good news?”

Since when did Hanwu do anything worthy of praise for the village?

“Your son possesses extraordinary talent. I’ve decided to teach him myself. Before that, however, he must complete a certain mission.”

“Is the mission dangerous?” Hakurou asked nervously.

“It will be very dangerous!”

Hakurou almost shouted, “Then you must allow him to take part!”

“I know you value your son, but...” The Shadow assumed that he had misheard. “Wait, did you just agree to send him?”

“Serving the Giant Wood Village is the Kokkai family’s duty,” Hakurou said firmly. “Lord Shadow, please set your mind at ease and let Hanwu participate in the mission. You must!”

Hakurou’s magnanimity touched the Shadow. If every Hijutsu family showed such selflessness, the Giant Wood Village would surpass the other seven ninja villages in strength.

“With your consent, this becomes much simpler,” the Shadow remarked.

Both men exhaled in relief. Hakurou knew that Hanwu was only an Apprentice. In a mission the Shadow described as dangerous, the boy would likely die. Once Hanwu was dead, he could report back to Lord Huangquan and claim an indescribable power.

Still, a sliver of doubt crept in. What if the mission isn’t that difficult and he won’t die?

Hakurou decided to seek clarification. “Lord Shadow, could you tell me what kind of mission and how dangerous it is?”

The Shadow regarded him sidelong. The mission was supposed to be classified, but as Hanwu’s father, Hakurou was effectively tied to it. There was little harm in sharing the essentials.

“Our patrols discovered an island beyond our borders. A certain unwanted guest resides there. A Giant Sage. I am assembling a small team to capture it and strengthen our village.”

Hakurou was so overjoyed that he struggled to suppress his laughter. Giant Sages stood in a class of their own. A ninja from the Giant Wood Village had fought against a Giant Sage in the past, and their grave was already overgrown with weeds. He was confident that Hanwu would certainly die.

The Shadow heard Hakurou’s soft laughter and assumed that it reflected pride in Hanwu’s talent. Had he known Hakurou's true thoughts, he would’ve killed him.

In the end, the two reached the same conclusion: Hanwu would participate in that dangerous mission.

Elsewhere, the three teachers dragged Hanwu into another room.

He wouldn’t let them off so easily. “Teachers, let’s continue!”

Sadamasa and Kumori were exhausted. They had already fought for three hours, yet Hanwu still demanded more. Their chakra reserves were nearly depleted, while Hanwu remained energetic.

If the fight continued, they would face an unfavorable outcome. Hanwu was only an Apprentice; they were Masters. Victory would earn them no recognition, since it was expected. Defeat would bring humiliation!

Both men turned to Natsutsuyu. “Do you have a Genjutsu to make him shut up a little?”

Natsutsuyu was already itching to use them on Hanwu. “Let me try.”

She made a series of hand seals and used her Genjutsu on Hanwu.

He didn’t struggle against her and was soon dragged into the Genjutsu. Within it, hundreds of demons continuously attacked him. He felt their blows and watched the meter rise steadily.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long. After enduring the Genjutsu for quite a while, he slowly developed resistance. The demons’ attacks gradually lost their impact, and the meter stopped progressing.

Dissatisfied, Hanwu forcefully broke out of the Genjutsu and barked at Natsutsuyu, “Teacher, how could you do this? You should go all out against me. You can’t fool me with these small tricks. Didn’t I pay you? Give me another hour. I’ll pay you more afterward!”

Natsutsuyu stared at him, unsure whether he had truly broken free or was still stuck in the Genjutsu. Since he demanded something stronger, she decided to oblige. She formed hand seals again and unleashed her strongest Genjutsu on him.

“S-rated Genjutsu, Helljoy!”

Darkness swallowed Hanwu as the Genjutsu took hold. He found himself in a dark world where strange creatures surrounded him: a bird-face Bodhisattva, a terrifying demon gripping a trident, a monster clad in monk’s robes, and many others.

In that strange world, Hanwu was their common enemy. They attacked together with kicks, punches, stabs, and flames. They tormented him by every means imaginable.

As Hanwu endured the pain and watched the meter climb rapidly, a satisfied smile spread across his face.